Senate Finally Confirms Olukayode Ariwoola As Chief Justice Of Nigeria

The Senate has finally confirmed the appointment of Olukayode Ariwoola as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Justice Kayode Ariwoola Confirmed As New CJN

On June 24, 2022, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola was sworn in as the acting CJN following the resignation of Justice Muhammad Tanko on health grounds.

In July, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the Nigerian senate to confirm the appointment of Ariwoola as CJN.

Ariwoola was finally confirmed as the new CJN at about 12:55 on Wednesday, September 21, after about an hour of drilling and questioning by the senate.

Senators who asked questions included the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Philip Aduda, Senator Gabriel Suswam and Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah.

After the exercise, the Senators requested that the acting CJN be asked to take a bow and go “having sufficiently responded to questions posed to him.”

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan in his reaction, noted that if it is the will of the Senators that the acting CJN should take a bow, he would be bound by their decision even if the request is different his personal opinion.

Senators unanimously approved that the acting CJN be allowed to take a bow and go when the request was put to voice vote by Lawan at about 12:55pm.

Thereafter the Senate reverted to plenary where the lawmakers also unanimously approved that the acting CJN’s nomination for appointment as CJN be confirmed by the Senate.

With his confirmation by the Senate, Justice Ariwoola has become the third individual to occupy the top Judiciary job of the country in the life of this administration.